NetBox - Community Learning Social Networks - Harnessing Educational Assets & Addressing Educational Needs

“NetBox - Community Learning Social Networks - Harnessing Educational Assets & Addressing Educational Needs” is an internationally oriented project in the EU's Lifelong Learning Programme that is assigned to the area ‘Development of innovative ict-based content, services, pedagogies and practice for lifelong learning’. The project duration is 24 months.

The project partners are vocational training institutions from Ireland, Great Britain, Finland, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Cyprus and Germany. The project language is English.

The aim of NetBox is “to pilot and validate a model for educationally self-sufficient rural communities where traditional consumers of educational services can become producers of educational services and content”.

The focus of this project is:

• to develop and pilot a model micro-social network in coherent rural communities;
• to conduct an audit to identify all the educational assets at individual and institutional levels;
• to identify educational needs;
• to create viable and sustainable online learning partnerships;
• between individuals through online collaborative learning, peer mentoring and study support groups;
• between institutions and organisations providing formal and informal education;
• between businesses, education providers and local residents to identify local educational assets and mobilize them to satisfy local skill needs